busting

verb

present participle of bust
1
as in reducing
to bring to a lower grade or rank the commander threatened to bust her for failing to salute

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2
as in bankrupting
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts gambling is a dangerous habit that has busted many unfortunate souls

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3
as in disrupting
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly the butterfingered husband had busted more plates than he cared to remember

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4
as in hitting
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner busted the storekeeper on the nose and was promptly arrested for it

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5
as in arresting
slang to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the cops busted the revelers for drinking in public

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6
as in killing
to use up all the physical energy of I had to bust my butt in order to get the project done on time

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of busting Almost busting my hand on the ceiling watching Kirk Gibson's HR off Eckersley. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 For now, a Super El Niño offers a reason for cautious optimism — not a promise of a drought-busting winter. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Today, with the White Sox doing so well, fans are casting about for ways to follow the game without busting the budget as access is proprietary. — Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 But as fears about distillation intertwine with fears about Chinese AI capabilities more broadly, busting stills one at a time may not be enough to put the American AI industry at ease. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026 Walker ended the third by busting free for a 76-yard run before he was chased down from behind by Raiders cornerback Taron Johnson at the 8-yard line. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026 Luckily, creating a warm, inviting glow doesn’t require an electrician or a budget-busting investment. — Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026 There’s an entire genre (nunsploitation) dedicated to busting that particular myth. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 Eagle-eyed Dancing With the Stars fans likely spotted season 34 alum Elaine Hendrix in the audience of the ratings-busting season 35 premiere. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busting
  1. reducing
  2. bankrupting
  3. disrupting
  4. hitting
  5. arresting
  6. killing
  7. demoting
  8. ruining
Verb
  • Climate policies are reducing emissions Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement just over a decade ago, global renewable electricity capacity has grown three times faster than anticipated, while solar PV build-out has increased seven times faster.
    — Simmone Shah, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The filter also makes the page look like a poster left too long in the sun, washing it out and reducing contrast compared to monochrome e-readers.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • College sports simply can’t exist in its present form without bankrupting our colleges and universities.
    — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • At a June forum for county executive candidates, former Legislator Dan Tarwater said the lawsuit could cost up to $1 billion in payouts, potentially bankrupting Jackson County.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of bankrupting
Verb
  • Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones connected to Starshield lost connectivity at high speeds, disrupting air defenses during daily Russian air attacks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The new enforcement effort is disrupting daily life as some parents with visitor visas avoid crossing altogether.
    — Angela Kocherga, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupting
Verb
  • Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Each draw is tied to Anthropic hitting certain compute capacity milestones.
    — Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of hitting
Verb
  • Osceola Sheriff Chris Blackmon released a statement on Facebook on Wednesday after arresting all nine students.
    — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For starters, the Stanford experiment prisoners had no idea the study would kick off with local police realistically arresting them at their homes.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of arresting
Verb
  • Earlier this week, missiles fired by the Houthis struck a residential area in Taiz, killing two teenage girls and renewing attention on the dangers faced by civilians.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Russia's aerial attacks hit 12 regions of Ukraine overnight, killing at least four people and wounding scores of others, including five children, Zelenskyy said on social media Thursday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • Perhaps as quick as demoting a first-time OC after four games?
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • If the roster had remained unchanged before Judge’s return, the Yankees would have faced the possibility of demoting Jones or cutting a veteran such as Amed Rosario to make space.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of demoting
Verb
  • The song is a cautionary tale about a brothel in New Orleans known for ruining many poor girls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As wet electrodes get thicker, the liquid binder migrates unevenly during drying, ruining the battery‘s structure.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruining

Browse Nearby Words

busters
busting
bustle
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Cite this Entry

“Busting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busting. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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